No vacancy for people with disabilities will be filled by any other category: Railways
New Delhi, Oct 25: As the protest against "irregularities" in railway recruitment in the disabled category entered the third day on Friday, the railways assured the agitators that no vacancy for 'divyangjan' will be filled by any other category.
The sit-in protest, which has led to massive traffic snarls in central Delhi since October 23, is over filling up of posts reserved for persons with benchmark disabilities (PwBD) in the recent level-1 recruitment exercise of the Indian Railways.
"The Indian Railways is committed to follow the all extant instructions regarding recruitment of persons with benchmark disabilities (PwBD)," the national transporter said in a statement.
It said the railways issued a centralised recruitment notification in February 2018 for around 63,000 posts. This notification also included posts for persons with benchmark disabilities.
Subsequently, based on the provisions of the revised PwBD Act that mandated four per cent reservation for PwBD categories (including newly introduced Multi Disability category), an additional window was notified for candidates to apply.
"Thereafter, based on orders of the Hon'ble High Court of Delhi, a clear 1 per cent distribution of vacancies for each of the four PwBD categories for the recruitment exercise was made increasing the total number of vacancies reserved for PwBD to around 2500," the statement said.
The railways further said that complaint of the protesters before the Court of Chief Commissioner For Persons With Disabilities (CCPWD) was about this revision in the vacancy percentage and specific grievances of some divyangjan candidates in some zones as regards communication on qualifying marks and calling for document verification.
It said five written representations in this connection came up for hearing before the CCPWD on October 23.
A detailed meeting between representatives of the protesters and senior railway board officers was held in the office of secretary, Ministry of Social Justice on October 24 to understand the grievances, explain the railways' position and actions taken.
During the meeting, the railway board officers assured the protesters that all their grievances would be examined and those genuine would be addressed in a time-bound manner, the statement said.
The matter was thereafter heard in the court of CCPWD on October 25.
"All qualified PwBD candidates would be appointed as per their merit/turn in their respective Railway zones. Any unfilled vacancies would not be filled by other non-PwBD candidates. Candidates can give their grievances and it will be examined carefully and expeditiously," the railways said.
"Under no circumstances will any vacancy for divyangjan be filled by any other categories. The Indian Railways has a clear commitment to recruit divyangjan against the posts identified for them as per quota prescribed," the statement added.
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Amid blistering heat in coastal areas, Udupi DC urges precautionary measures
Udupi: Amid rising temperatures across coastal districts this summer, Udupi Deputy Commissioner Swaroopa T.K. has urged the public to take necessary precautionary measures.
Chairing a meeting of the District Disaster Management Authority at the District Collectorate Hall, Rajatadri in Manipal on Tuesday, she said that people must be made aware of the risks associated with excessive heat.
She stressed the need for caution against dehydration, heat exhaustion and heatstroke, which are common during extreme weather conditions.
The Deputy Commissioner noted that heatstroke can have serious adverse effects on human health and urged the public to follow precautionary measures issued by the District Disaster Management Authority.
She directed health department officials to ensure adequate stocks of ORS and other essential medicines at all health centres to tackle heat-related illnesses. She also instructed authorities to provide clean drinking water in crowded places such as markets, bus stands and railway stations.
Immediate steps should be taken to address drinking water shortages during the summer, she said. At present, there is no shortage of fodder for cattle in the district, with sufficient stock available for the next 39 weeks across all taluks.
Highlighting the increased risk of fire accidents during summer, the Deputy Commissioner called for regular inspections of fire safety measures in hospitals, industries and other crowded places. She emphasised the need for preparedness to respond swiftly in case of fire emergencies.
Expressing dissatisfaction over delays in conducting fire safety audits despite instructions issued in the previous meeting, she directed fire department officials to complete the audits at the earliest and submit a report.
Swaroopa also instructed taluk-level task force committees to hold regular meetings and ensure there are no disruptions in drinking water supply. She added that a district-level committee has been formed under her chairmanship to handle emergencies such as oil spills, and members should be well-informed about response plans.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Abid Gadyal, ASP Sudhakar Nayak, Zilla Panchayat Deputy Secretary, Assistant Commissioner Rashmi, Municipal Commissioner Mahantesh Hangargi, and other district officials and tahsildars were present.
The Deputy Commissioner furthermore stressed that any issues related to drinking water supply for people and livestock in both urban and rural areas must be addressed on priority. In areas already facing shortages, borewells should be identified and water should be supplied through tankers.
She also directed that strict measures be taken to prevent the supply of contaminated water and that regular water quality testing be made mandatory.
“There are several adverse effects of extreme temperatures. Awareness should be created among both urban and rural populations through posters, banners and public announcements on the precautions to be taken. This will help safeguard public health,” Swaroopa said.
